Starry, Starry Night

Hi guys

Well, this afternoon I've been masking and blending, followed by more masking and blending to create this little card for this week's challenge at Less is More.  The current challenge is to create a one layer card with the theme, 'Starry, starry night'.

When I recently attended the Stitching, Sewing and Hobbycraft Show I stood for ages watching the demonstrator at the Card-io stand, her creations were gorgeous.  I just had to buy a few of the stamp sets and I've combined a couple of them here on this card.  Also, I never realised you could blend with pigment inks (she was using Versa Color) so I've given it a go here.

I started by masking off a rectangle in the centre of my card base with post-it notes.  I then used some scrap paper and cut myself a landscape curve.  I used this to mask off the top section of the card and then blended the pigment inks, gradually building up the colour (at the show she was using a dry baby wipe to blend the colour but I just used some good quality kitchen towel wrapped around my finger).  You can only just make it out in the photo but next I used a pale blue ink with the mask to create some snow banks.  I then placed the masked back in position to stamp the trees, some of which were second generation stamping so they appeared to be further away, then the little cabin and the bushes (which are actually the top of a tree stamp).  I then peeled away the masks and stamped the sentiment.

I then wanted to add a star which I was originally going to do by using embossing powder but I didn't want to risk warping my card base (something which always happens to me!) so instead I squirted out a tiny bit of Tombow glue onto some scrap paper and smooshed it with my finger.  I then used my star stamp to pick up the glue, stamped this on my card and then added some fine glitter.  Some of the really fine bits of glitter decided they wanted to live in the sky elsewhere so I left them to add more sparkle.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Card-io - Winter Walks, Christmas Scenery 2; Paula Pascual - Christmas Messages
• Ink: Versa Color - Orange, Marigold, Imperial Blue, Neptune, Sky Blue; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Glitter: Stampin' Up - Dazzling Diamonds

I am also going to link this card up at the following challenges:

One-Layer Simplicity - Challenge #11 - Home, Sweet Home (wouldn't you just love to live here at Christmas?)

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #74 - Christmas Joy
Crimbo Crackers - Challenge #69 - Clean and Simple
Craftyhazelnut's Christmas Challenge - #202 - Keep it Flat

I love how this card turned out and I'll certainly be trying to create more scenes on my cards now that I know it's not that difficult after all!

Let It Snow

Hi there

As promised, here's my third and final card for today and this is also my second entry at Less is More where the theme is 'Animal'.

I found this cute teeny tiny kitty in a stamp set which was free with a publication ages ago.  He only measures one centimetre high...awwwww!

This card kind of evolved as I went along.  I stamped this cute little guy on a scrap of white cardstock and coloured him in with ProMarkers.  I knew I wanted to surround him with snow so I masked him off before using a snow stamp which was actually a little addition in a Christmas sentiment set.  I wanted the snow to show up so I used silver pigment ink and then heat embossed with white powder.  I then got the impression that this little chap needed some sort of ledge to lean on so I used a rectangular die to create a window.  I popped the window up on 3D foam on a textured card base and added some Wink of Stella to his hat.

He looks like he's peering through a window from the cold outside, so perhaps the sentiment should read 'Let me in'! :D

I really love how this turned out, I love the tiny pop of colour against all the white and of course, some Christmas sparkle.

Materials used:

• Stamps: Christmas Capers by Adam Pescott; Paula Pascual - Christmas Messages (snow and sentiment)
• Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black; Versa Color - Silver; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - White
• Die: Spellbinders Nestabilities - Classic Rectangles Large
• Coloured with ProMarkers
• Wink of Stella

I'd also like to link this card up at the following challenge blogs:

Creative Card Crew - Challenge #68 - Embossing

Sweet Stampin' Challenge - Christmas in August

Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Anything Goes

And again, just for fun, I'm going to link up at Addicted to Stamps and More where my teamies are hosting the latest CAS challenge.

Phew, ok that's all from me for tonight.  Once I've linked these up I'll be off to my cosy bed!

Nite all :)

Snow Angel

Hi guys

A very quick post to share a card I made this morning as I woke up really early so decided to have a little crafty time :)

Materials used:

• Stamps: Ladybug Crafts Ink - Nikki & Friends; Paula Pascual Stamps - Christmas Messages
• Ink: Memento - London Fog; Versa Color - Celadon
• Paper: Dovecraft - Christmas Blues
• Coloured with ProMarkers and FlexMarkers
• Glitter Glue - Stickles - Star Dust

Challenge entries:

Crafty Cardmakers - Winter Fun

Passion for Promarkers - Include a Sentiment

Keep It Simple - Warm

Paper Pretties - Let It Snow

I'll be back later with more to share but have to dash as I have a friend coming round in a mo.

Have a fabulous Sunday x

Merry Little Christmas Robin

Hi there

How nice it's been this afternoon to actually do some crafting in natural light! 

I saw the new challenge at Less is More this morning and the theme is to make a Christmas card with the added proviso to 'Use a Bird'.  So off I went to have a rummage through my stamps to see what I could find.  I had a few options but decided on this little chap as he's just so cute!

 

 

A while ago I purchased a batch of stamp sets on eBay which were all sets the seller had received free with various publications and this little guy was from one of those sets.  This set is called Christmas Capers but I'm unsure of the brand.  There are some lovely images in this set but I had the same problem with this one as I did with my Hobbycraft stamp the other day, where the ink doesn't cover the stamp sufficiently.  It tends to bead on the surface so I ended up using Versamark and then black embossing powder.  I will try the suggestion I had from Anita at My Papercraft World which is to wipe the stamp on ultrafine sandpaper beforehand.  I've not yet tried this but will certainly give it a go, and any further suggestions would be appreciated.

 

My initial plan with this card was to curve the sentiment around the circle but it was quite a long stamp and the curve was a bit too steep.  It would hold for a few seconds but then as soon as I went to add the ink it kept flinging back...scrap that idea then, I'll have it in a straight line! haha

 

I simply finished off by rounding off the corners.

 

Materials used:

• Stamps: Christmas Capers (unknown); Paula Pascual - Christmas Messages
• Ink: VersaMark; Versafine - Onyx Black
• Embossing Powder: Stampin' Up - Black
• ProMarkers: Tan, Poppy and Grass
• Die: Xcut - Nested Circles

 

I'm entering this card into the following Challenges:

 

Less is More - Christmas 'Use a Bird'

Charisma Cardz - Christmas

Dream Valley Challenges - Clean and Simple

Stampin' for the Weekend - Feeling Festive

CAS Colours and Sketches - Colour Challenge

 

 

 

Thanks so much for popping by.  Your comments are always appreciated and I love to hear what you think.

 

I hope to see you soon